Tag Archives: Quillfyre

Outside the Zone this week

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Carol A. Stephen

This week I submitted an article that I had not even thought about submitting till an hour before.  It’s a non-fiction piece about my illness and surgery three years ago, and the fears that  I am now fighting that resulted from that experience.

This took me out of my comfort zone both as a writer who needs to get past a fear of rejection, and by revealing something very personal.
Now I am just waiting to hear if it’s accepted! 
Oh, yes,and I also sent in five of my small stones for potential inclusion in the next River anthology.
 

Poems are up at The Light Ekphrastic for Issue 9

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Carol A. Stephen

Today is a bit of a brag. I had mentioned my poem (well, poems, really) being accepted for the latest issue of The Light Ekphrastic.  Here is the link to the first page of the issue.  There are some wonderful artists taking part, so be sure to check them all out. http://thelightekphrastic.com/

My particular page is here, with my poems and the photographs of Marlayna Demond: http://thelightekphrastic.com/issues/february-2012-issue-9/stephen-demond-february-2012/

There is also a call for submissions to the May issue. Deadline is February 20th, so there isn’t much time. But it’s a lot of fun and a bit of a challenge!  Check out the submission guidelines here: http://thelightekphrastic.com/submissions-2/

C

No-Comfort Challenge this past week

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Carol A. Stephen

This week I had a poem accepted for The Light Ekphrastic’s next issue coming up online soon. And I sent off two to another online journal, The Rose & Thorn.  Fingers crossed!  And I realized where I get bogged down when trying to do submissions is the deciding which poems are suitable and whether or not they are ready.  Often I think they are, but when the time comes, something has changed and I decide that either they are wrong for the publication or still need tinkering.

Besides that, I think I have too many possible places to submit and other projects like my next chapbook that I want to start and I lose that elusive focus I am seeking this year.  I think submitting has become an extra pressure that keeps getting in the way. So, I am going to try to select ONE place to submit and review the poems that might fit it. I am not going to set a goal of one per week right now, I am just going to go through the current calls I have already printed out, and as I review my poems for my chapbook will watch for any that will fit that one call. But my priority will be the chapbook. (or perhaps book, if I have enough poems!)

My challenge for the week to come is to maintain focus on assembling the book poems.  Crossing my fingers!  Carol

31st and final stone: letting go

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Carol A. Stephen

Well, my river journey for January has come to an end. I will be taking part in a different writing challenge for February. The Southeast Review offers a 30-day Adult Regimen for Writers.  I’ve done it a couple of times before, and it is also a challenge, but in a good way. Lots of good writing came out of it last time. So I am looking forward to it. Today’s stone came from two ideas: first, letting go at the end of a journey. Two, how something of us remains attached to objects and places. We may be able to let go of them, but do they let go of us?
Letting go

a house becomes attached to things.
to routines, beliefs. to people.
they all leave, in one way or another.
the house remains, adding another layer,
a patina of its own history, its own connections.
when a house creaks and sighs in winter
it is dreaming its past, memories sinking deep
into its bones.  When the time comes,
the house lets go, knowing its ghosts remain,
a blanket to keep its story warm.

Carol A. Stephen
http://www.quillfyre.wordpress.com